Where can I listen to this podcast?

This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Does this podcast accept guests?

No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.

Lost Words: The Forgotten Language of Humanity

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by Barry Shrimpton

36 episodes

Updated Daily

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Podcast Overview

Lost Words is a journey into the forgotten corners of language — exploring ancient, vanished, or untranslatable words that once shaped how humans thought, felt, and dreamed. Each short episode uncovers the story behind a single word: its origin, meaning, and the world it reveals about the people who spoke it. From Old Norse to Latin, from Japanese to Sanskrit, and even words lost in modern languages, this podcast revives them with storytelling, history, and philosophy. Through these “lost words,” listeners rediscover lost emotions, lost ways of seeing the world — and perhaps, lost parts of themselves.

Language

🇺🇲

Publishing Since

11/6/2025

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Recent Episodes

July 5, 2026

Torschlusspanik - When Time Feels Like It’s Running Out

Episode 36 of Lost Words: The Forgotten Language of Humanity explores the German word “Torschlusspanik,” literally meaning “gate-closing panic.” Originally referring to the fear of being locked outside a medieval city as its gates closed at night, the word has come to describe the anxiety that time is running out to achieve life's goals. The episode examines how this feeling emerges when people become aware of passing years and begin comparing their lives to imagined timelines. Questions like “Am I too late?” or “Have I missed my chance?” reflect the emotional pressure created by the belief that opportunities are disappearing. Listeners learn that Torschlusspanik is often fueled not by time itself, but by comparison, social expectations, and the fear of unrealized potential. The episode explores how people frequently measure themselves against invisible deadlines, forgetting that every life unfolds at its own pace. The episode also challenges the idea that life's possibilities end at a certain age. While some opportunities naturally pass, others continue to emerge throughout life. New careers, relationships, passions, and personal growth can begin at any stage, reminding us that different phases of life offer different possibilities rather than fewer ones. Ultimately, Episode 36 presents Torschlusspanik as both a warning and an invitation. It encourages listeners to stop fearing the closing gates of imagined deadlines and instead focus on the opportunities still available today. Rather than asking whether it is too late, the episode suggests asking a more meaningful question: "What can I begin now?"

June 28, 2026

Hiraeth - Longing for a Home That Lives in the Heart

Episode 35 of Lost Words: The Forgotten Language of Humanity explores the Welsh word “Hiraeth,” a profound feeling of longing for a home that may never have truly existed. More than homesickness, Hiraeth describes an emotional yearning for a place, a time, or a sense of belonging that exists somewhere between memory, imagination, and hope. The episode explains that Hiraeth is not always connected to a physical location. It can be the longing for an idealized childhood, an imagined homeland, a distant historical era, or even a future place where we believe we truly belong. It reflects the human ability to form deep emotional connections with places and experiences that may exist only in the heart. Listeners are guided through how memory reshapes the past, softening its hardships and preserving its warmth, while imagination creates emotional landscapes that feel just as real. Hiraeth also appears in moments of unexpected familiarity—a place never visited, a person just met, or a piece of music that somehow feels like coming home. The episode emphasizes that home is often more than geography. It is a feeling of acceptance, comfort, and belonging. As life changes and familiar places disappear, Hiraeth reminds us that longing is not a sign of weakness, but evidence that something has deeply mattered to us. Ultimately, Episode 35 presents Hiraeth as both a gentle sorrow and a quiet hope. It suggests that while the perfect home may never fully exist in reality, we can build pieces of it through meaningful relationships, shared moments, and the places where we feel understood. Hiraeth teaches that the deepest journeys are often not toward a destination on a map, but toward the enduring human search for belonging.

June 21, 2026

Dépaysement - The Joy of Being Unfamiliar with the World

Episode 34 of Lost Words: The Forgotten Language of Humanity explores the French word “Dépaysement,” the feeling of being pleasantly disoriented in a new or unfamiliar place. Rather than describing confusion or discomfort, the term captures the refreshing sense of curiosity and heightened awareness that comes from stepping outside familiar surroundings. The episode explains how daily life is often guided by habit, causing people to overlook the details around them. Dépaysement interrupts this routine by placing us in environments where nothing can be taken for granted. As a result, ordinary sights, sounds, and experiences become vivid and meaningful once again. Listeners learn that Dépaysement is not limited to travel. It can also arise through new jobs, new communities, different cultures, unfamiliar languages, or any situation that challenges established assumptions. These experiences encourage greater attention, openness, and self-discovery. The episode also highlights how unfamiliar environments reveal the limits of our own perspectives. By encountering different ways of living, we gain humility, broaden our understanding of the world, and recognize that our habits are not universal. Ultimately, Episode 34 presents Dépaysement as a celebration of curiosity and exploration. It teaches that moments of gentle uncertainty can awaken wonder, expand perspective, and help us see both the world and ourselves with fresh eyes.

36 total episodes available

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Frequently asked questions

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What is Lost Words: The Forgotten Language of Humanity?: Lost Words is a journey into the forgotten corners of language — exploring ancient, vanished, or untranslatable words that once shaped how humans thought, felt, and dreamed.

Each short episode uncovers the story behind a single word: its origin, meaning, and the world it reveals about the people who spoke it. From Old Norse to Latin, from Japanese to Sanskrit, and even words lost in modern languages, this podcast revives them with storytelling, history, and philosophy.

Through these “lost words,” listeners rediscover lost emotions, lost ways of seeing the world — and perhaps, lost parts of themselves.
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates daily.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.

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